Lina in Horrorland
by Yugure
Summary: When our heroine, Lina Inverse, ends up in the frightening world of Horrorland, she has no choice but to befriend the crazies she meets and defeat the sadistic dictator who rules them. ZL
1. Into the Dark

Title: Lina in Horrorland

Author: Yugure

Rated: PG13 and up for language, violence, gore, eventual gross stuff.

**Chapter 1: Into the Dark**

"It's fine by me if you want to act like a spoiled brat, but when it comes to other people's business, Lina, you need to learn when to shut up and stay out!" Zelgadis shouted at Lina's turned back, his words cutting like knives. Lina balled her hands into fists and counted to ten, and when she still hadn't calmed down, she counted ten more. Zelgadis's face was splotched red with fury. "I didn't ask you to 'help', Lina, and look what you've done! You've totally ruined everything!"

"Hey, none of that was my fault!" Lina whirled around and glared at the chimera, her face equally wrought with fury. "I insisted on coming along because we're friends, and friends help each other out. That's exactly what I tried to do, Zelgadis. I'm not going to let you get killed just because you don't want us to get involved. Well, guess what? We already are involved! We have been ever since we first met!"

"No, Lina," Zelgadis said, and a grim chuckle escaped his lips. His haunted eyes were narrowed and it seemed as though ice was freezing inside his pupils. "No, you didn't do this because we're friends. You did this because there was something in it for you. You never risk yourself unless you'll get something out of it."

"That is not true!" Lina answered hotly. She felt her face flush. "For L-sama's sake, Zelgadis do you not believe in friendship or what?!"

"When it comes to you, Lina, yes. That's exactly true." Zelgadis picked up a satchel near his feet and turned towards the setting sun in the west. "I'm leaving."

"Mr. Zelgadis, don't go! Please!" Amelia cried out, her first time speaking since the argument between Zel and Lina began. She reached out to touch his arm, to pull gently on his sleeve, but the chimera stepped away.

"Let him go, Amelia." Lina turned her back on Zelgadis and put her hands on her hips. "He doesn't want to stay with us. He doesn't care for us, so just let him go."

"Um..." Gourry began, but when Lina shot him a withering glance, he shut up.

"We didn't mean any harm, Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia continued. "We only wanted to help! It's not like we purposefully destroyed the Oracle-"

"Shut up, Amelia," came the low reply from the chimera. Amelia's eyes started to tear up, and she quickly turned away from Zelgadis.

Nobody spoke. Lina kept her back to the rest of the group, her mind racing through a million things she wanted to say but knew she wouldn't. Lina Inverse did not apologize for being wrong. Lina Inverse was NEVER wrong... Er... well... according to herself, she was never wrong. Gourry looked between Lina, Zel, and Amelia, a quizzical expression on his face. He knew better than to say anything, but the question remained on the tip of his tongue. Amelia sat down next to the fire and fought to control the tears that threatened to break free. Zelgadis began walking away.

"Bastard," Lina muttered under her breath.

"Bitch," Zelgadis grumbled at the same time.

Lina refused to call out to him. She ground her teeth together and kept her hands tightly clenched at her sides. _I will not, I will not, I will not... Aw, screw it! _"Zel!" But when Lina turned, the sorcerer swordsman was not there. "Damn him. DAMN him!"

"Miss Lina..." Amelia began, her face turned towards the fire and tilted downwards. "Is he going to come back?"

"How the hell should I know? I'm going to bed. Amelia, you get first watch. Wake me when you get tired," Lina retorted. She didn't wait for an answer. She wiggled into her bedroll and curled up in a ball, her back towards the fire. As much as she wanted to sleep, as much as the proverbial sand threatened to close her eyes, her brain would not allow it.

_It all started with the lead... We all thought Zel's cure was in Gaia. It was a sure-fire lead, something that held definite promise for finding what we- I mean Zel- needed. How was I supposed to know there was treasure there as well? "Search the old temple and you shall find what you seek," the old geezer had said. Well, we found it all right. I never saw Zelgadis look so happy, ever. That look of pure elation... L-sama, he really thought he was going to be cured. I'd give everything I have to see his face like that again. I was so happy for him... What the hell went wrong? I don't even remember clearly. I do remember racing for the treasure while Zel read the inscriptions on the Oracle. He yelled something at me, right as I reached for the first piece of gold. Something like, "Don't touch it, Lina! That's forbidden treasure! It'll destroy this whole temple if you disturb it!" Well I'll be damned if my arms weren't already elbow-deep in gold. I swear, it wasn't my fault! If only he'd told me sooner! ...The whole friggin' place came down around our heads. We were lucky to escape with our lives. The Oracle was destroyed. Self-destructed, I think. At least, that's what Zel said once we'd checked ourselves over for injuries. I've never seen him that mad before. And now... this...Zelgadis... I'm so sorry..._

It was about there that Lina's brain finally relinquished its hold on consciousness. The sorceress fell into a deep sleep.

It was the scuffling sounds that woke Lina up first. Groggily opening her eyes, she peered into the gloom. Amelia was over by the fire, asleep, and Gourry was busy sawing logs from his own bedroll. Ready to admonish the princess for leaving their party unguarded, Lina crawled out of her bedroll and stood up.

Scritch scritch scraaaatch. Scritch scritch scraaaatch.

Lina became fully awake then. It sounded to her as though something with immense weight was moving through the trees with a rhythmic stride, scraping along the underbrush. Lina left her bedroll and strode toward the forest, readying a fireball for whatever emerged from the darkness. She chuckled darkly to herself as she imagined a charred and contrite Zelgadis coming back to camp. However, the creature that came through the woods put all other thoughts out of her mind.

Slithering toward her was the oddest creature Lina had ever seen. She was so shocked she completely dropped her spell. It had the upper female human torso and a large snakelike body. Scales the size of Lina's fist clinked together as the thing hauled itself across the ground. The face was nearly hidden by dun-colored tresses and sharp spines poked out from the elbows and wrists.

_Lamia,_ Lina thought. _L-sama, they're supposed to be extinct. I've only heard rumors and stories that there are some still alive, but...What the hell is it doing here? According to legend, they're supposed to be in the far, far south!_

The lamia appeared to be oblivious to Lina, in spite of her nearly standing in its path. The creature cradled something in its arms, and as moonlight broke through the heavy clouds above, Lina saw the glint of metal. The lamia broke into a gentle but faster slide, her lower snake half coiling and pulsing with the use of giant muscles. Lina recognized the metal in its arms almost immediately. _The Sword of Light!_ The creature veered around Lina and pushed onward.

"Get back here! Where the hell do you think you're going with that?!" Lina yelled running after the retreating figure. The lamia turned her head, and eerie, glowing green eyes glared at Lina. A vicious hiss rose into the air, originating from somewhere deep in the lamia's chest. Lina felt the hatred, the venom, the animosity like a sharp kick in the ribs. This creature was unlike anything she had ever faced, and it was not happy.

"FIREBALL!" Lina cast the spell and aimed it at the lamia, but the exotic creature proved to be faster than a speeding ball of flames. "DAMMIT! Get back here or I'll really cause some damage!"

The lamia picked up its pace, and Lina realized she was quite far from the campsite. _Crap. I should have woken Amelia and Gourry, but... I'm sure they're fine. The sword of light is more important right now!_

"You've had your warning! Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows..." Lina slowed her stride and braced herself for the unleashing of the Dragon Slave. "... DRAGON SLAVE!!"

The night became an inferno. Clouds turned blood red and trees whipped around by the force of the blast. The world, once dark and safe, was now brilliant in its fury and full of dangerous potential. The lamia wasn't the least bit phased, and she kept right on racing away. Lina stared in shock at the quickly retreating form._ No way! No freaking way! She should've been scorched, at least! Startled, thrown off balance, SOMETHING!! What on earth am I up against now? I wish Zel was here; he knows more about mythology than I do- _Lina immediately stomped on that idea, grinding it into the ground. _I don't need Zel to do anything for me! I don't need ANYBODY! Damn him and his problems, they plague me even when he's gone!_

"RAYWING!"

The petite sorceress continued to grumble after she levitated and took off after the lamia. It was shortly after that that Lina realized she had lost track of the mythical creature. Stewing in her own discontentment, she didn't even realize she was now in the middle of the forest and the going was slow due to the ever-present grabby branches and gnarled trees in her way.

It wasn't until a branch actually made a swipe at Lina that she realized things were not quite... right. Lina's Raywing ceased working. She ended up on her rear in the middle of a mudpit.

"DAMMIT!!" she shrieked, and unloaded all her frustration into a string of very colorful and original curses. She stared with unbelieving eyes as an oak branch bent towards her and long, spindly twigs began caressing her hair. Lina swatted at the twigs but another branch took their place, as did another, and another, and another...

Soon Lina was trapped by trees. The sorceress, uncomprehending her predicament, continued to smack the twigs and branches. "This is very NOT FUNNY!" The mud gurgled around Lina, and she glared down at it. Her outfit was completely ruined. The numbing cold was seeping through to her bones and soon her teeth were chattering. "FIREBALL!"

Nothing happened.

"FIREBALL! FIREBAAAAALL!"

Still nothing happened. It most certainly wasn't "that time of the month" yet, so what was wrong? Lina was determined to find out, but her first priority was to get onto dry land and away from the psycho trees.

The muck squelched and squeaked as Lina pulled herself free and crawled onto the bank. The trees followed her, but gave her enough room to reorient herself.

"I'm cold, I'm tired, I'm hungry, the sword of light was stolen, I'm an absolute MESS and these trees are trying to cop a feel! SOMEBODY tell me what the HELL is going ON!"

Lina received an answer, albeit one she didn't want.

The lamia reappeared. From behind a cypress she slithered out, green eyes narrowed in slits and dainty but vicious fangs peeked out from a tight-lipped grimace. A low rumbling began, gurgling up through the lungs of the lamia, and it ended in a bone-shattering, nerve-wracking hiss.

"Damn," Lina breathed softly. One foot came up, then the other, and they moved on their own accord. Lina let them take her away. The high keening wail of the lamia indicated that the chase was on.

Lina never saw the hole appear in front of her, but she certainly felt the wind rushing up from the fall, her hair blowing every which way, the darkness closing in on her, and feeling settled into her bones...

Evil. It was primal, disgusting, raw evil. It sucked at Lina's soul and pried into her mind, spilling forth old, painful memories like blood leaking from a cracked skull.

Lina's scream echoed and seemed to fill eternity. It ended with a sickening smack and white-hot stars exploding across her vision. The pain was immense. The world stopped spinning, but the darkness continued to swirl around her.

The crunch of bones against hard surfaces was a sound Lina never wanted to hear again... if she ever had the chance to. She felt the snap of her neck from the impact, felt her brain bouncing back and forth inside her cranium. The white-hot stars increased in ferocity and numbers. Washes of pain and crimson flowed over the sorceress, and almost as suddenly as it happened, everything went dark.

Everything...

... except the far away burning of a flickering candle.


	2. Recollection

Title: Lina in Horrorland

Author: Yugure

**Chapter 2: Recollection**

"Are you all right?"

Lina groaned and opened her gritty eyes in response to the concerned, disembodied voice hovering above her. Blazing bright light blasted into her vision, and Lina squeezed her eyes shut tight. She threw her hands across her face.

"Lemme alone..." she mumbled. "Damn, it hurts..."

"I'm sorry, I forgot the light," the voice said, sounding slightly admonished. The glare against Lina's eyelids faded to a dull brilliance. "Miss, where does it hurt? What's your name?"

"I said lemme the frig alone, dammit!" Lina snapped back, and the raising of her voice triggered a massive headache. With a sharp intake of breath she cringed. Lina opened her eyes again, cautiously, and glared at the stranger in the dim light. "Where the hell am..."

The words died on Lina's tongue as her eyes widened at the sight of the stranger. Shadows cast by a candle flickered over smooth, pale ivory skin and danced in the fathomless blue irises of his eyes. Soft violet hair cascaded around the beautiful face. The person was very human, but Lina recognized those eyes, that aura, that voice from someone unmistakably not... Didn't she?

Lina opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. Her brain screamed at her, insisting that she should know this person, but no name would come. Lina drew a blank and felt that her memory shouldn't be as empty at it was.

"You look very familiar. Do I know you?" Lina asked, careful to talk slowly. The pain was worse the louder and faster she spoke. The man before her shook his head.

"I don't think so. I've never seen you before. But Miss, you're terribly hurt. We have to get the bleeding to stop or-"

"What's your name?" Lina insisted. Her brain began to lose some of its focus.

"Zelgadis. Yours?"

"Zelgadis? I know that name! ... Don't I?"

"... I don't know, I've never met you before."

"My name's Lina..." Lina trailed off. Her brain was now very fuzzy, and the bells of recognition in her mind could not be heard through the fog of confusion. Zelgadis, Zelgadis... the name was familiar. And yet that damnable blank spot was still there. "What do you mean bleeding?"

"You suffered from severe head damage. You'll need stitches for sure. The blood is still spreading on the ground as we speak. If you don't get help soon, you'll die from blood loss," Zelgadis informed her. "I'll cast a Levitation and get you out of here."

"Where's... here?" The words came more slowly to Lina. The world lost focus, and Zelgadis was reduced to a blur of colors. "I'm so tired... why?"

"Dammit... You probably have a concussion. Don't go to sleep, okay? Stay awake however you can. Do NOT go to sleep!"

"Mm-hmm..." Lina agreed.

"Lina, don't fall asleep!"

"O... kay..."

The world fell away to darkness.

The second awakening was much less painful than the first. Lina moaned and groaned as she shifted her weight in the soft, downy bed. _Bed?_ she thought fuzzily, patting the blankets around her. _When did I get in a bed? _Her head throbbed, but the feeling was distant. With one shaky hand she patted the bandages wrapped around her head. A sharp hiss of pain escaped her lips.

"Good to see you're awake. You gave me quite a scare," Zelgadis said. Lina shifted her eyes to stare at the handsome human sitting in a chair next to the bed. Relief and concern vied for dominance in his face.

"Zelgadis, right?" Lina asked. The man nodded. "Where am I, and what the hell am I doing in someone else's bed?"

"You're in my home, sleeping in... cough my bed," Zelgadis blushed slightly, "because I found you nearly dead in the Dark Forest. You're lucky you aren't paralyzed or have a life-threatening concussion. From what I could tell, you had fallen from a great height and landed on your back, nearly on your neck. You have a bruised hip, too. You must be gifted by L-sama to make it through such a brutal beating. Do you remember where you came from?"

"No I don't. All I remember is falling through a black hole, then a whole helluva lot of pain, and you rescuing me. And even all that is fuzzy," Lina replied. A small voice nagged in her mind, and the image of a lamia surfaced. "L-sama..."

"What? Remember something?"

"Yes. I was being chased by a lamia. I don't know why, but..." Lina trailed off as the rest of the story rushed into her mind with startling clarity. It was like watching a video in fast forward. She fought to sit up, but a newly found pain in her hip and a sharp stab in her head kept her from doing so.

"Lie still. Movement will cause the pain to swell again."

"Zel! Zelgadis!" Lina's hand shot out from the mound of blankets and latched onto the cool arm of the man beside her. "Of course you know who I am! When did you turn human? Why are you here, too? Where IS here?!"

"Whoa, calm down, Lina!" Zelgadis replied. He placed his hand on Lina's forehead and clasped her outstretched hand with his. "You don't have a fever. Maybe the concussion is worse than I thought..."

"No, Zelgadis! I know you know me! Don't you remember?" Lina shuddered. The film in her head began again, but this time emphasizing the fight she had with her dear chimera friend. "Oh, L-sama, Zelgadis I am so sorry! I didn't mean to push you away! When did you come back? Zel, I want you to know I never meant to screw up your chance at getting your cure-"

"You're rambling like a raving lunatic," Zelgadis muttered. He sighed and stepped away from the bed. "I don't know whether or not you need more sleep, or maybe a powerful healer."

"Dammit, Zel, listen to me!"

"I am listening, Lina, but I'm not who you think I am. I've never seen you before in my life. Did it occur to you that I simply share the name of the person you're thinking of?" Zelgadis asked. He walked over towards the door. Lina paused in her rant to think about that.

"No, it didn't, but you even look like him..."

"Coincidence."

"Coincidence my ass."

"Are you always this tactful?"

"You should know. I've been traveling with you for a helluva lot of years..."

"I'm going to call Sylphiel. She's a local white healer. Maybe she knows what's wrong with you."

"Good. Call Sylphiel. I need someone sane to talk with." Lina pulled the sheets up around her neck and glared at Zelgadis.

Zelgadis stiffened at the mention of "someone sane". Of all the people he knew, Sylphiel was not the sanest person. Neither was he, really, but that was a different story. And Lina never had to find out, if he played his cards right.

"I'll bring you some food in a few minutes. Will you survive until then?"

"You betcha."

"Good."

Zelgadis left the room. He sent a message to Sylphiel via Odin, his pet raven. It was the most reliable and fastest way he knew. Once that was done, he set about cooking for the invalid in his room.

That thought alone caused Zelgadis to blush. Who would've thought Zelgadis, of all the crazies in Horreur de Terre, would end up with a beautiful, reasonably sane woman in his bed? Oh, plenty of other women here were willing to share a bed with Zelgadis. But none of them were sane.

Absentmindedly, the knife began running across his arm instead of across the ham. Zelgadis looked down, momentarily surprised to see blood dripping onto Lina's sandwich. He often did things like this when he became lost in thought. Zelgadis sighed, set the knife down, and threw away the gooey meat and bread. _No good now,_ he thought.

Tentatively, Zel touched the blood on his arm with his fingertips, then licked a drop from his slender fingers. The metallic taste blossomed on his tongue, and he sighed, although this time for a different reason. Zelgadis did his best to ignore the pleasure senses tingling as he washed his arm in the sink. He bandaged it tightly and set about finishing the meal.


	3. Unsteady

Title: Lina in Horrorland

Author: Yugure

**Chapter 3: Unsteady**

Lina gazed at the heavy oak door as it closed behind her handsome host. The thick wood and the darkness of the hallway swallowed the sound of Zelgadis's light footsteps. In other circumstances, she would have gotten to her feet and investigated the room. However, she would rather eat glass than move, as every movement invoked the wrath of pulled muscles and sore joints. She made herself content to stare at the odd wallpaper design, within which she swore she could see a creeping old woman.

The only window in the room was in the wall on Lina's right. Watery sunlight filtered into the room, and although Lina couldn't see the sky, she had the impression it was mostly cloudy.

"May I come in?"

Lina was momentarily startled by the voice. _Must've been in a daze,_ she thought. She fluffed the blanket around her and wiggled down into the bed, careful to avoid further injuring her battered body.

"Sure. It's your room," she replied. The door swung slowly open and Zelgadis stood in the doorway, a tray laden with food in his arms.

"I thought you might like some soup, so I made chicken broth to go with your sandwich," he said as he crossed the threshold, "and there's a fruit-"

"What happened to your arm?" Lina demanded, staring at the red-spattered bandage wrapped around Zelgadis's arm. She forced herself to sit up, ignoring the pain in her head and side. Zelgadis looked down at his arm and turned a little pale.

"Uh... I, uh... well, I accidentally dropped the knife I was using, and I tried to catch it before it fell to the ground – reflexes, you know – and it cut my arm," he explained cautiously. He placed the tray on the bedside table. "It's no big deal. Really. It'll heal quickly."

"Zelgadis, it's soaking through more as we speak. It hasn't stopped bleeding, has it?" Lina demanded again. She grabbed Zelgadis's wrist and yanked him closer to her as she examined the bandage.

"Ouch!" Zelgadis yelped. "Dammit, Lina, that hurt. Don't you know better than to grab an injured arm?"

"Shut up. This is serious," she snapped. "When is Sylphiel getting here? She can take care of you first."

"You're the one with a concussion," Zelgadis replied. "I'll be okay without help; you won't be. I'll go re-bandage it now, okay?"

"Fine."

"Fine."

The two people glared at each other. Zelgadis was the first to look away. He mumbled something under his breath and left the room.

"Still the same stubborn jerk as always," Lina muttered. _Then again... he insists he's not my Zelgadis... _Lina blushed. _I mean, the Zelgadis I know. So why are they so much alike? And yet... L-sama, this is so confusing._

Lina waited. Zelgadis did not return. As she finished up the last of her soup, mopping up the dredges with a piece of fluffy bread, Lina felt her gaze shift to the window. Something was happening right outside, fluttering and beating against the glass. Lina saw flashes of red and black, and the iridescent shimmer of raven feathers. Carefully, she crawled out of bed. Finding she could stand on her own, Lina shuffled over to the window and peered out.

A large, misshapen eye stared back at her, red-tinted and dripping ooze. Lina choked on a scream and tumbled backwards. She landed hard on the floor, jarring her spine and sending pain shooting through every synapse. The eye pulled back, revealing a hideous, rubbery face, and readjusted its focus on the large raven raking bloody trails across the creatures skin. The two engaged in combat, as the raven pecked and tore at unprotected flesh. A rotten hand swiped at the bird, tearing out feathers and sending them spiraling downward, trailing blood.

Lina watched in horrified fascination. A talon caught one eye of the rubbery creature. The organ swelled. A split second of time passed, and the claw punctured through the film. The eye burst, and indefinable goo exploded outward. A shrill, keening wail shattered the virtual silence of the room. Lina jerked at the sound.

The raven was suddenly slammed against the window. The glass cracked. Lina recoiled as if bitten, drawing her arms in close to her body. The small black body writhed under its constraint. The oversized gray hand pressed it closer, and spider web cracks spread across the glass.

Lina had had enough.

"ZELGADIS!"

"What, what?!" The door of the room burst open and Zelgadis rushed in, his face pale and troubled. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"I... I... the... the window," Lina stammered, pointing up to it from her position on the floor. Zelgadis followed her finger's point. "What the freaking hell is that thing?! And he's hurting the bird!!"

Zelgadis strode to the window and, drawing back his fist, slammed it into the glass. It shattered completely, having already withstood the stress from without. Fragments rained down onto the floor. Suddenly the sounds of the outside poured into the room, and Lina covered her ears at the cacophony. The bird fell into the room, shrieking, and Zelgadis caught it in his arms. The creature's arm snaked into the window. Zelgadis reached past the limb to grab its head by the hair. He slammed it facedown onto the broken window edge, embedding shards of glass in its skin. The piercing wail began again.

Lina clutched her stomach, feeling her meal starting to unsettle itself, as Zelgadis continued to bash the monster until it fell completely silent. The raven cawed weakly from his cradle of Zel's arm.

"What. The. Hell. Was. That." Lina glared at Zelgadis as if he were withholding the information on purpose.

"It was a bogey," he explained quietly. He stood stock still for a few moments, ignoring Lina's pointed gaze. "We get them a lot around here. They like to feast on fresh blood."

"How horrible. Ouch," Lina tenderly got to her knees, wincing all the while.

"You should still be in bed. You could have a relapse if you're not resting like you should be." Zelgadis extended his free arm to Lina, but she could only stare at the glass-and-blood encrusted hand. "Oh. Sorry." He withdrew it.

"Doesn't that... hurt?" Lina asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, but... I'm used to it. I've got a high pain tolerance."

"Well, what with your bandaged arm and your injured hand, I think I can help myself into bed." Lina got to her feet with difficulty and tottered over to the bed. "What's with the bird?"

"This is Odin. He's... my pet, I guess you could say. He was defending his territory and protecting this house. It happens all the time." At the harried and disturbed look on her face, Zelgadis said, "Lina, please, calm down. Sylphiel should be here soon."

"That was disgusting," Lina muttered as she pulled the blankets up to her chin. From under the covers she watched as Zelgadis pulled the shutters closed and pulled down the curtains over the offending window. Lina could faintly hear someone or something else outside the door. "Um... Zel..."

"I'm so sorry, Zelgadis-san, your door was unlocked so I let myself in," a sweet, feminine voice intoned as the bedroom door opened to reveal a slender figure clad in white robes. "I presumed you wouldn't mind, seeing this is an emergency- Oh! You must be Lina!"

Lina stared at the face underneath delicate folds of white cloth. She would swear on her yet unoccupied grave that the person was Sylphiel, but something was very, very wrong. Lifeless black eyes twitched nervously, set in a face so sickly gray-white that veins could be seen running beneath the flesh. Sylphiel's lips were nearly black, and twitched often. Lina dropped her gaze to stare at the hands nervously fluttering around a basket. Long, white fingers clasped and unclasped the handle; nails bitten to the quick pressed against fleshy palms.

_That... is not Sylphiel..._ Lina thought, forcing herself to believe it. But it was.

"Lina, this is Sylphiel, the local white healer," Zelgadis needlessly said.

"I... Sylphiel... what happened to you?" Lina blurted. She just had to ask. The girl in question blinked furiously and turned to look at Zelgadis.

"I... I don't understand," Sylphiel stammered. Lina sat up. Sylphiel turned back to the girl in bed, and behind her back Zelgadis shook his head, indicating for Lina to stop before she'd say something she'd regret. Alas, Lina ignored the warning.

"You're deathly white. You look like a corpse! And your eyes are all freaky, and you've got a nervous twitch. Truth be told, you look like hell," Lina said, quite frankly. Sylphiel's eyes brimmed with tears and her lower lip trembled. Zelgadis sighed in exasperation and rubbed his temples.

"I don't know what you mean, I always look like this, it's... there's nothing wrong with how I look," Sylphiel replied. Her voice took on a hard edge, and the eyes suddenly didn't look so lifeless. Her lips twitched. "You jealous, bitch? Is that it? You wanna look like me, look like the kind of women Zelgadis-sama expects in his bed?"

Lina stared at Sylphiel in absolute shock. Dumbfounded, she opened her mouth to speak, closed it, and opened it again. No sound came out. She closed her mouth. _What the hell?! The Sylphiel I know would NEVER say that! L-sama, what is going on?!_

"Sylvie, you're going to upset her," Zelgadis said slowly, calmly. His hands were resting on Sylphiel's shoulders. "And you know as well as I do, I don't sleep around."

"Then what the hell is a bitch doing in your bed? Answer me that, Zelgadis-sama!" the petulant voice replied. Lina finally found her own voice.

"Quit calling me a bitch, Sylphiel! What has gotten into you?!" she demanded. Sylphiel glared at her.

"I'm not Sylphiel, **bitch**," Sylphiel stressed. "My name is Sylvie. Not that you'd care or anything."

"Sylvie, would you please excuse us for a moment? Could you go down to the kitchen and get the rest of your supplies?" Zelgadis interjected. "Sylvie" rounded on him and pushed her index finger into his chest.

"Screw you. I ain't helping that bitch," she growled.

"Please. I'm asking you nicely." When "Sylvie" didn't appear to be leaving, Zelgadis added, "And how would Gourry like to see you like this, Sylvie?"

The silence was awful. Lina had the burning desire to ask what happened to Gourry, but she chose to wait until "Sylvie" was out of the room. The white healer, eyes suddenly brimming with tears, stalked out of the room. She slammed the door behind her.

"What the hell was that all about?" Lina demanded.

"Sylphiel has a multiple personality disorder. When she first came in, she was Sylphiel. When you upset her, her mind made the shift to Sylvie, whom you just had the displeasure of meeting. But, in neither case, does she actually know she has a disorder. Understand?" Zelgadis explained. He sat down at the foot of the bed.

"Sort of. So when she's Sylvie, she truly believes she's only Sylvie. So no matter who she thinks she is, she doesn't know she has a multiple personality disorder?"

"Basically, yes."

"Okay... but why does she look like... well, like death?"

"Sylvie is bulimic, and Sylphiel is heliophobic." At Lina's blank look, Zelgadis explained, "She's afraid of the sun. She stays inside as often as possible."

"And Gourry?" Lina's inquiry was met with a blank stare. Zelgadis stood up, opened the door, and ushered Sylphiel in, who had stood meekly outside in the hallway. Just like that, Zelgadis had ended the discussion.

"Sylphiel, I think Lina is suffering from a concussion, among other things. See what you can do, I'll be back in an hour," Zelgadis said. He left immediately, closing the door firmly behind him. Lina didn't even have a chance to ask him where he was going.

_L-sama... I'm all alone with this girl...What do I do?! _Lina thought.

"Uh... Lina-san, please lie down. I need to take a look at your head and hip, so just relax and let me work," Sylphiel said. She pulled a chair up next to the bed, set her basket down beside her and began.

An hour later, Lina was deep in a healing sleep. Sylphiel had done her job well, and she excused herself from the bedroom. Out in the kitchen, she found Zelgadis leaning against the countertop, a large butcher knife in his hand. His eyes were staring intently at the blade. Briefly his eyes flickered to Sylphiel as she cleared her throat, but they refocused on the blade once more.

"You'll never escape it, Zelgadis-san. The need, the desire... Don't fight it," Sylphiel said quietly. "I know you hate what you are. I know you hate what we all are. But we can't change, Zelgadis-san."

"That's not true," Zelgadis growled.

"It is," Sylphiel insisted. "Lina needs to know the truth. She'll feel betrayed if you keep it a secret and she finds out later."

"NO! She doesn't have to know, ever! I'm getting her out of here as soon as possible. She doesn't belong here. We both know that. Sylphiel," Zelgadis held out his bandaged arm, knife clenched tightly in his opposite hand, "Could you please heal this before you go?"

"Because it'll leave a scar if you wait too long, you mean? Because you want to hide what you are from Lina?" Sylphiel shook her head but gently took the offered arm, unwrapped the bandage, and cast a small healing spell. "You've been lucky so far, Zel. Only one scar in a lifetime of slashes. That was before you found out that healing within a day leaves nothing behind, right?"

Zelgadis chose to remain silent.

"Goodbye, Zelgadis-san. If you need me, just call," Sylphiel said, and left. Zelgadis shoved the butcher knife back into the drawer it came from.

_Why do I care? I don't even know this girl, this Lina. I just found her in the Dark Forest, nearly dead. She means nothing to me... doesn't she? _Zelgadis padded quietly down the hall, ruminating on everything his mind wandered to. _But I feel so compelled to help her. To care for her. To hide what I am from her. Would she care? Would she be repulsed by the fact that I... that I...Yes, surely she would be. But why do I care? _Zelgadis opened the bedroom door and leaned against the doorframe. He watched as the blankets rose and fell with Lina's even breathing. His heart skipped a beat and fluttered around in his chest. _Why do I feel this way every time I look at her? She's a stranger, dammit! _

"Zel..." Lina murmured in her sleep. "Don't leave me... I'm sorry..."

_But I'll be damned if I let anything happen to her._


	4. Jaded

**Title**: Lina in Horrorland

**Author**: Yugure

**Chapter 4: Jaded**

Someone knocked on the front door.

Curious as to who would be calling on him, Zelgadis gently shut the bedroom door and made his way to the front hall.

"Who is it?" Zelgadis asked before unbolting the heavy oak door.

"It's me, Zelgadis-sama!" came a high, friendly, and all-too familiar voice. Zelgadis groaned and leaned heavily on the wall. _Impeccable timing, Amelia_, he thought. _Just my luck. Just my damn luck._ Zelgadis counted to ten, slowly, and opened the door.

"Hello Amelia," Zelgadis muttered, his tone blasé and bored. "So nice of you to drop in-"Before Zel could properly finish his sentence, Amelia bounced into the house and began chattering happily. A rancid stench made Zelgadis's nostrils flare, and he tried to discreetly hide his nose behind his hand.

"Zelgadis-sama, I brought you a cake that I baked this morning," she started. She held up the offensive pie to emphasize her statement. "It's raspberry flavored, your favorite kind! I even put little raspberries in the frosting, and Zelgadis-sama, you just have to try it! Zelgadis-sama, let's go into the kitchen so we can eat this together! Isn't that romantic, Zelgadis-sama? Two lovers eating raspberry cake in the kitchen? Zelgadis-sama!!"

"I don't even like raspberries," Zelgadis replied, but Amelia ignored him and pranced away into the kitchen. Zelgadis sighed and, dragging his feet, wandered in behind her.

"It's such a beautiful day, Zelgadis-sama! Isn't it lovely?" Amelia asked as she put the cake on the table and went about the kitchen looking for silverware. Zelgadis glanced out the window at the cloudy, gray morning sky. It was depressing just thinking about it.

"Sure is, Amelia," Zelgadis lied with false enthusiasm. _I hope Lina doesn't wake up soon. I'd hate to see what Amelia would do..._

Amelia hummed as she made herself at home in Zelgadis's kitchen. Having obtained a knife and a fork, she sat down at the table and dug into the cake. She lifted the food-laden fork up to Zelgadis, who sat down in another chair, and smiled.

"Here! Isn't it yummy?" she proclaimed, nearly shoving the utensil in his face. Zelgadis obliged and tasted the cake.

"Indeed," he mumbled, forcing his face muscles to stop twitching, trying not to retch at all costs. When Amelia turned away to get more, Zelgadis spit the cake out into a napkin and threw it away. He silently prayed to whatever deity was listening that Amelia would feel an inexplicable need to leave.

Perhaps he should have been more precise, for the only deity that seemed to be listening was irony.

"Zelgadis, where are you?" an uncertain voice called from the hallway. Amelia froze. The air temperature dropped several degrees. Lina suddenly appeared in the doorway, a blanket clutched tightly around her and a haunted look in her eyes. When she noticed Zelgadis, her expression relaxed into relief. "There you-"

"Who are you?!" Amelia demanded. She leapt to her feet and brandished the fork.

"Amelia?" Lina queried. She took a step forward, hesitant. The Amelia she knew would never threaten her with an eating utensil, not unless she had done something "unjust" like taking the last pork pie. The Amelia she knew also didn't have grotesque welts and scars crisscrossing her arms, spiraling up both limbs and across her neck. Lina couldn't stop staring.

"Zelgadis-sama, who is this?! What is she doing in your house?!" Amelia shrieked. She spun to face Zelgadis, who was inching his way closer to Lina.

"This is Lina. I found her half dead in the Dark Forest. I couldn't just leave her there, so I brought her here, and she's staying until we can find a way to get her home." _Almost close enough,_ Zelgadis thought. _Just a few more steps, and I'll be next to Lina. If Amelia jumps now, Lina's dead meat, but maybe..._

"Amelia, what happened to you?" Lina asked bluntly.

Three things happened at once. Amelia let out a bloodcurdling scream and lunged at Lina, and Zelgadis dove in between them.

The prongs of the fork punctured Zelgadis's skin, sending blood dribbling down his pale white skin. Spasms gripped his arm as the fork jabbed at his muscles. Zelgadis gritted his teeth and reached for Amelia's hand.

Amelia, blinded by her rage, barely noticed Zelgadis in front of her. She ripped the fork out and pivoted on her feet, trying to get to Lina. Lina, on the other hand, didn't know what the hell to do. If she tried any spells, there was no way of avoiding Zelgadis. He remained firmly implanted between her and the raving madwoman.

"Amelia, STOP!" Zelgadis yelled. He clutched his arm, both slippery and sticky with blood, with his opposite hand. Amelia ignored him. Lina tried to step back, to get an open shot at Amelia, but she stumbled on her blanket. She fell and was rewarded with a sickening crack to the head, supplied by the hardwood floor beneath her. Salty tears burned her eyes as she cried out.

"Lina!" Zelgadis spun around and dropped to his knees beside her. "Amelia, look what you've done!" A shadow of doubt flickered across Amelia's eyes. She paused, only a foot away from Lina, the fork held out with blood slowly spattering the ground. Her face, contorted in a mask of fury, relaxed. The tenseness of her body ran out, and soon Amelia was left slumped against the wall. Her gaze flickered from Lina's wet face to Zelgadis's trembling arm.

"I... I..." Amelia stammered. She slid down the wall until she was sitting identical to Zelgadis. "I only wanted.... Zelgadis, I only wanted-"

"Lina, how bad are you hurt?" Zelgadis ignored the plaintive Amelia and cradled Lina's battered head on his lap.

"I'm okay, I guess," Lina replied through clenched teeth. She sat up, wincing. "Given the circumstances, I'd say I'm doing pretty good..." Lina smiled faintly. "Would it be too much to ask for a glass of water?"

"Of course not," Zelgadis smiled in relief. He helped Lina to her feet and together they walked back into the kitchen. Amelia watched them, her expression unreadable.

Lina took a sip of water and watched Zelgadis move about the room over the rim of her glass. Her line of sight roamed over the way his soft hair fell in his eyes, at his muscular upper body, and the bleeding wound on his left arm...

Lina choked on her water. Coughing and sputtering, she doubled over.

"Lina!" Zelgadis exclaimed, immediately rushing to her side.

"Damn, did Amelia do that?!" Lina demanded, reaching out to lightly grasp Zelgadis's arm. Her fingers came in contact with the sticky blood, but she didn't recoil. "We need cough to bandage this, quickly!" Lina fussed over the arm, grabbing napkins and pressing them down. Suddenly, as though realizing something, she grabbed Zelgadis's other arm. Only a faded scar ran across his wrist. Lina turned back to the wounded arm and removed the surrogate bandages. Except for the stab wound, there were no other injuries. Lina slowly lifted her head to look Zelgadis in the face. "What happened to the other wound?" she asked softly.

"Didn't you know?" came a wry voice. Lina and Zelgadis turned to look at Amelia, who stood in the doorway. Her face held a small, sardonic smile. She glanced at Zelgadis, then back at Lina. "Don't you know Zelgadis's little problem?"

"Amelia, stop." The fear in Zelgadis's voice was nearly palpable.

"Just like me. Don't you know how he-"

"STOP!!" Zelgadis pulled away from Lina and in three giant strides had both Amelia's wrists trapped in his iron-tight grasp. "Shut up, Amelia! Shut up and go home!"

"You haven't told her?"

"Told me what?" Lina was on her feet, hands on her hips. She ignored the momentary dizziness. Amelia smiled at Lina over Zelgadis's shoulder. It was a genuine smile this time.

"I'm sorry for attacking you. I was way out of line. Forgive me?"

The apology was unexpected. Lina simply blinked. Zelgadis tightened his grip on Amelia's wrists, bring her attention back to him. She flinched a little, her smile fading, and gave a slight nod. Satisfied that he'd made his point, Zelgadis let go.

"Would you like some raspberry cake? There's plenty enough for all of us," Amelia said. She side-stepped around Zelgadis and began cutting up the cake again. The complete about-face left Lina a little stunned. Then again, she should be getting used to the strangeness of this world.

"What's her ailment?" Lina whispered to Zelgadis while Amelia was rummaging around in the pantry.

"She's homicidal. She has a tendency to kill people at the slightest provocation. Even her friends."

"So why are you still alive?" Lina snickered at the blush that rose to Zelgadis's cheeks.

"Uh... she likes me a lot... I guess..." he replied lamely.

"Riiight." Lina sighed. She was absolutely perplexed over what Amelia and Zelgadis had been talking about before and the mysterious disappearing wound, but she decided not to push it. She was too tired and hurt to argue much. And besides, if Zelgadis really wanted it to be kept secret, who was she to demand the truth?

Lina and Amelia ate the cake as Amelia chatted on happily about nothing in particular. Zelgadis fished out some bandages and wrapped the stab wound and politely declined the cake.

Outside, a shadow peered in the window. Having seen enough to satisfy its master, it took flight and departed from the premises.


	5. Relapse

**Title**: Lina in Horrorland

**Author**: Yugure

**Chapter 5: Relapse**

Zelgadis closed the door behind Amelia, turned the locks and slid the bolts into place, and sighed heavily. He could still hear Lina rummaging around in the kitchen, most likely looking for more food to inhale. Zelgadis didn't immediately return; he was busy thinking about what, exactly, he was supposed to do now.

"Sylphiel did a great job," Lina said, still busy poking around in cupboards, her voice floating down the hallway. "I feel so much better now..."

"Even after your head hit the floor and bounced? Shouldn't you be in excruciating pain right now?" Zelgadis replied. He rested his arm on the kitchen doorway and leaned against the doorframe. Lina looked up from her crouched position on the floor beside the pantry and frowned at him.

"Well, yes, duh, that part still hurts. And I'm really tired. But the worst of it has passed."

"If you're feeling up to it, we can leave today." Zelgadis turned and walked away. There was silence for a moment, followed by a loud thump as something heavy was put down, and the sound of footsteps hurrying across the hardwood floor.

"What do you mean, 'leave'?" Lina asked, grabbing Zelgadis's arm and forcing him to face her.

"Have you already forgotten that you're not supposed to be here?"

"Noooo..."

"Well, the only way I see for you to get back to... wherever it is you're supposed to be, is to see the King." Zelgadis waggled his arm in attempts to dislodge the tight grip binding him to the small woman, but Lina didn't let go.

"The King? Is he the one in charge of this whole place?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Lina noticed the shiftiness in Zelgadis's eyes and she tightened her grasp on his arm.

"You look pretty paranoid. Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing... but maybe you could let go of my arm?"

"Oh. Sorry." Lina's hand dropped back to her side.

"The trip will be about a week, if we're lucky. We should leave soon, within the next day or so, if not today."

"If I can just get a clean set of clothes, I'll be ready today," Lina replied. She glared at the skeptical look on Zelgadis's face. "What? Really, I'm fine."

"I can't be dragging you across the countryside like a sack of potatoes. You have to be strong enough to support yourself. If you don't think you can do it, we'll wait until you've rested."

"I just told you I'll be okay, dammit," Lina growled. "Even the pain is receding from that smack on the floor." She started to walk down the hall, as if to prove her point.

In truth, Lina's head was still throbbing. Sylphiel had done an amazing job, but the reintroduction with the floor had brought a new set of problems. Lina wasn't one to dilly-dally, however, and she wanted to be active as soon as possible.

Even though she wouldn't mind spending a few more days with Zelgadis...

"If you say so," Zelgadis began when Lina stumbled into the wall and slumped to the ground. Zelgadis immediately scooped up the fallen girl into his arms and brought her back to his room. "Methinks you should get some more sleep."

"Bugger off," Lina mumbled, her head resting on Zelgadis's chest and her face buried in his shirt. "Jus' cuz' someone stuck an axe in my brain doesn't mean I can't..."

"Stop talking," Zelgadis commanded, and although he couldn't see it, he knew Lina was glowering at him.

Moments later, Lina was tucked back in under blankets and propped up with pillows. Zelgadis was confused by his impulse to kiss her forehead and, bewildered by himself, left the room in a hurry. Lina succumbed to the newly arisen pain and allowed sleep to take her.


	6. Apathy

**Title**: Lina in Horrorland

**Author**: Yugure

**Comments**: So. Ahem. Yes. New chapter. Rejoice? Slayers and co. still not mine, bugger it all...

**Chapter 6: Apathy**

Lina shot a dark look in Zelgadis's direction, but he either didn't see it or ignored it completely. They were in the village marketplace, gathering the essentials they would need for their journey. If Lina hadn't fainted again, and Zelgadis hadn't insisted on another night's rest, they would have left yesterday. Lina was itching to leave and every second they dawdled she felt like screaming at the top of her lungs.

She was quite subdued, however, when they entered the main thoroughfare of the town. It was different from any marketplace she had ever seen. Normally there was hardly any room to move and hundreds upon hundreds of people crammed into every available spot. People shouting, laughing, shrieking, haggling for prices, bartering for junk, children zooming around the elders's legs as mothers shouted their names... the uproarious nature of marketplaces always drew Lina in like the delicious smell of freshly baked bread from bakeries. She loved the jubilance, the energy coursing through everyone. Even though she always complained about bad foot traffic and smelly animals and greedy booth owners, she loved everything about marketplaces.

This one was different.

It wasn't so much the merchandise of the booths, for they had many of those selling the same things found anywhere else, nor was it the variety of people, for they had that as well. It was the severe lack of energy and enthusiasm that most pricked Lina's curiosity. There were no shouts of joy or angry screams; no laughing children or braying mules. The only sounds Lina could discern was the soft clucking of some sickly looking chickens in the stall to her right and the low rumbling murmur of the people. People glanced up as she passed, peering at her with sunken eyes and sallow faces. There was a mix of curiosity, fear, and vague hostility in the air at her presence. Although her anger slowly boiled under the surface and she was not known for her patience or people skills, Lina felt it was somehow an inappropriate time to have a row with the locals. Something about them made Lina want to bury her face in her hands and cry, not throw boots and snap at them. Rolling her shoulders in an attempt to ease the feeling of eyes boring into the spot between her shoulder blades, Lina wrapped her arms around Zelgadis's left arm and pressed herself as close to his body as she would allow herself.

"Something the matter?" he asked, looking down into her nonplussed face as the merchant he had been talking to dropped a few coins into his outstretched right hand. He pocketed the money and moved down the road.

"Everyone's so... weird," Lina replied, keeping her voice low so that only Zelgadis would hear. "Where's all the noise and the music and the yelling? I mean, that lady at the both didn't even say hello or goodbye! She just sort of grunted and took your money. Where I come from, it's like... like a giant party all the time, or whatever..."

For a moment Zelgadis looked as confused as she felt.

"I don't know," he said, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head. "It's always been like this. People do their business here, there's really no reason to celebrate anything."

"But life's always something to celebrate about," Lina protested softly. Zelgadis shrugged, at a loss for words.

"Not here," he finally said.

"Doesn't anybody ever smile, even?"

"Sometimes... I suppose..."

"I can't wait to get out of here."

"Well, you're in luck. I have everything I need, and if you think you're up to it, we can leave right now."

"Please, let's."

The two were just getting their gear together when a figure came running at them full speed. Lina flinched as the short form of Amelia flung itself at Zelgadis, who stumbled at the unexpected weight and nearly collapsed.

"ZELGADIS-SAMA!!!" The ear-splitting shriek turned a few heads, but nobody paused to look for long.

"Amelia. To what do I owe this unpleasant... I mean, unexpected surprise?" Zelgadis asked, prying Amelia's hands off his neck.

"Where do you think you're going?! I heard from Sylphiel that you were leaving town today, she said you guys bought some herbs from her shop, and you KNOW I hate it when you don't tell me when you leave!" Amelia reluctantly released her grip but reattached herself to Zelgadis's arm. She beamed up at him. "I'm going with you!"

"What?!" chorused Zelgadis and Lina together. Lina took one look at Zelgadis's resigned face and knew he would allow it if she didn't step in.

"Now wait just one minute! Who says you get to come with?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips. She wasn't sure she liked this new Amelia, and knew without a doubt she would hate having her along on the trip. There was, Lina thought, no reason for it.

Amelia's eyes darkened. "I said so."

"Yeah but it's not up to you. This is my personal business, and I don't want you involved."

"Lina..." Zelgadis's warning tone barely registered on Lina's scale of Things to Pay Attention To. She focused on the brunette in front of her, feeling her ire rise.

"Zelgadis-sama is my business, and where he goes, I go." Amelia clung even more tightly to Zelgadis's arm. Zelgadis winced.

"Listen, sister, I'm not going to have a homicidal maniac watching my back! I'm trying to get home in one piece, not five thousand. If the other day was any indication, I can't trust you," Lina went on. She waggled a finger in Amelia's face. "You were going to kill me, and I don't want to have to kill you, and if we have another incident like that, I can't predict what I might do."

Lina should have seen it coming. Perhaps she was too used to Amelia she knew, who would never raise a finger against her. This Amelia, however, would. And with a sharp implement in her hand, nonetheless.

The knife came out of nowhere and Lina just managed to jerk her head back to avoid a fatal cut to the eye. Instead a thin slice appeared on her eyebrow. The pain was brief but sharp, and very annoying. Lina reached for Amelia's arm as Amelia brought it back around for another shot, and Zelgadis intervened by knocking the weapon loose.

"Zelgadis-sama!" Amelia protested, rounding on him. "How dare you let her say those things to me!"

"Amelia, this really isn't the best time to accompany me out of town. Lina really needs to get home and the best way to do that is be quick and discreet."

"Zelgadis-sama, I can be quick! I can be discreet!" Amelia pouted. Lina hated to admit it, but it was a pretty powerful pout. She could already see the resolve melting in Zelgadis's eyes. He turned to look at Lina imploringly. There were a few seconds of silence as Lina tried to think if there was actually a way she could prevent Amelia from coming along, or even following them, if it came to that. Finally she sighed loudly.

"Fine. Whatever. Just don't be surprised if next time one of us ends up dead, and it won't be me," she said. The threat didn't seem to register in Amelia, who was busy sighing and fawning over Zelgadis.

The trio almost made it out of town before they became a quartet, when Sylphiel approached them and also asked to join. Lina was much more obliged to allow her to join, since she greatly appreciated Sylphiel's healing skills.

Thus begins the adventure to return things to normal.


End file.
